Christi's Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup

Our neighbor Christi made Italian sausage and white bean soup with Tyner Pond Farm sausage. Here's the story, her dinner in photos, and a slow-cooker recipe to try.

By Chris Baggott

October 8, 2026 2 min read

A bowl of Christi's Italian sausage and white bean soup

Our neighbor Christi made this Italian sausage and white bean soup with Tyner Pond Farm sausage. The photos take you from browned sausage and chopped vegetables to a full pot of soup and, finally, a bowl ready for dinner.

Christi's dad grew up in the Bronx, a borough with deep Italian-American food traditions. Here at home, she put our local Indiana sausage to work in this pot of soup.

Start with a pound of local Italian sausage

The sausage does a lot of the work in a soup like this. Our Italian sausage is mild, herb-seasoned and made with local Indiana pork. It comes as bulk ground sausage in a one-pound package, so there's no casing to remove. Brown it, break it into pieces and you have the start of dinner.

From the skillet to the soup bowl

Here are the photos in cooking order. A few ordinary ingredients, with each stage getting you a little closer to dinner.

Browned Italian sausage crumbles in a stainless steel bowl. — The sausage, browned and ready for the soup.

Carrot rounds, celery and chopped onion in a skillet. — Carrots, celery and onion in the skillet.

Browned sausage mixed with carrots, celery and onion, with a wooden spoon. — The sausage and vegetables together.

Italian sausage, white beans and vegetables in creamy soup in a slow cooker. — The finished soup in the slow cooker.

A white bowl of Italian sausage and white bean soup with vegetables and a spoon. — A bowl ready for dinner.

A slow-cooker version to make at home

The recipe below is our straightforward version inspired by Christi's dinner. It's a starting point for your own pot of Italian sausage and white bean soup.

Download the printable recipe

Serves: 6 Prep: about 20 minutes
Slow cooker: 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high, plus 10-15 minutes to finish

Ingredients

1 lb Tyner Pond Farm mild Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, cut into coins
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
Two 15.5 oz cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups baby spinach
Chopped parsley, optional

How to make it

In a skillet over medium-high heat, crumble and brown the sausage until cooked through. Spoon off excess fat.
Cook onion, celery and carrots with the sausage for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste and seasonings; stir for 1 minute.
Tip into a 6-quart slow cooker. Add broth and beans. Cover; cook until vegetables are tender, 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 on high.
Add cream and spinach. Cook on high for 10-15 minutes, until hot and wilted. Finish with parsley if using.